ppc_header_logo_v5

What is your School Bullying Case Worth?

phone Call (973) 453-0870

starsREVIEWS

We Put Our Clients First!

30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

100+ MILLION RECOVERED

CERTIFIED TRIAL LAWYER

NO FEE UNLESS YOU WIN

FREE CONSULTATION

ppc_header_logo_v5

What is your School Bullying Case Worth?

phone Call (973) 453-0870

stars-white@2x

REVIEWS

We Put Our Clients First!

30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

100+ MILLION RECOVERED

CERTIFIED TRIAL LAWYER

NO FEE UNLESS YOU WIN

FREE CONSULTATION

top 100 trial lawyersMillion dollar advocates forumsuper lawyersNew Jersey Supreme Court Certified Attorneyavvo 10.0 superb ratingmulti million dollars advocates forumtrial advocates of new jersey

WE GET RESULTS. OVER $100 Million Recovered

$
Drunk Driving Accident
$
Car Accident/Brain Injury
$
Product Liability and Auto Accident
$
Car Accident With State Vehicle
$
Car Accident / Brain Injury

five stars orange

As a physician with years of experience caring for patients with personal injuries occurring through no fault of their own, I offer my highest recommendation of Todd Leonard. I was injured in an automobile accident and, because of Todd and his team, was able to focus completely on my recovery with utmost confidence that, legally, I was in the best possible hands.

- B.L. March 20, 2020

5 Star Review on Personal Injury Lawyer

The Todd Leonard Law Firm went above and beyond for me and my auto accident. They took the worry out of my hands and took care of everything. They had patience with me and answered all my questions, and took care of my concerns. I would recommend them to anyone who needs an injury attorney.

– L.L., June 26, 2019

5 Star Review on Personal Injury Lawyer

Since my car accident, I had been to the point that my injuries had taken a huge toll on my life. Todd and his team helped me get back onto the road to recovery. I cannot thank Todd and Stacey enough for all their help. Todd is the best lawyer I ever met; I would recommend the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm to anyone!

– R.D., March 14, 2019

5 Star Review on Personal Injury Lawyer

Dear Todd, Thank you so much for representing me in my car accident case. You always answered all of my questions and your staff was so helpful. I would certainly recommend you to my friends and family on any type of personal injury case.

- P.T., January 10, 2014

5 Star Review on Personal Injury Lawyer

Dear Todd, I want to thank you for all your hard work in connection with my car accident. I was very pleased with my settlement. It was a lot more money than I expected and my case settled much quicker than I thought it would. I would recommend the law firm of Leonard Law to anyone.

– M.C., April 23, 2013

Talk to a School Bullying Lawyer Now. Call (973) 453-0870

todd-j-leonard-team-2
Put Our Team in Your Corner
Put Our Team in Your Corner

We take great pride in being there for our clients when they need us the most. We will do everything in our power to obtain the BEST possible result for you.

A Legacy of Excellence

New Jersey Certified Trial Lawyer

At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, we take our commitment to clients seriously. Todd Leonard proudly carries on the legacy of his father as he provides compassionate but relentless personal injury representation for his clients, offering both exceptional service and proven results.

We take great pride in being there for clients when they need us the most. We will do everything in our power to obtain the BEST possible result for you.

signature
signature-white

Experienced School Bullying and Harassment Attorneys That Get Results

Our team of school bullying lawyers have over 35 years of experience, extensive resources, and proven results that you can trust. Todd J. Leonard is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney, has a Superb 10.0 Rating from Avvo, and was selected by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” for Civil Litigation. He has been honored to be selected by his peers for the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers®, and his tremendous success has earned him a lifetime membership to the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

No Fee Unless You Win

We only get paid if your case is successful.

We Will Go to Trial

We fight hard to get maximum compensation for your injury.

We Treat You Like Family

We are committed to your case and treating you with the respect you deserve.

Talk to a School Bullying Lawyer Now. Call (973) 453-0870

School Bullying and Harassment Claims

Childhood bullying is a significant public health problem that increases the risk of poor mental health and adverse social and educational outcomes in childhood and young adulthood. With the passage of New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABR), the state is considered as a national leader in addressing solid statutory and regulatory policies and programs to support the prevention and reporting of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) in schools. However, despite ABR, incidents of bullying, harassment, and intimidation continue to occur at alarming rates.

According to the National Center for Education’s 2019 Statistics, 22 percent of students, ages twelve to eighteen, were reported as being bullied at school. Of those students, 25 percent of females experienced more bullying incidents compared to male reports, which was 19 percent. The top three subjects for bullying were rumors, insults, and exclusion from activities on purpose.

The New Jersey Personal Injury Attorneys at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm represents students and families who are victims of bullying, harassment, and intimidation (HIB) in New Jersey. Parents who suspect their child’s school district is violating New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws should contact our office to discuss your rights and remedies.

New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights

New Jersey Lawmakers authorized the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights in January 2011 and amended the Act in January 2022. Under the ABR, schools must maintain a policy that bullying is considered as any unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.

Bullying in New Jersey Schools

Under New Jersey law, HIB refers to any gesture, physical act, verbal, written, or electronic communication that is:

Motivated by color, race, ancestry, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a physical, sensory, or mental disability or any other distinguishing characteristic;

Occurs on the school premises, such as at a school-sponsored event, on a school bus, or off school grounds that substantially disrupts the operation of the school or a student’s rights;

Under certain circumstances, a reasonable individual should be aware of how their actions will physically and emotionally harm another person or place the student in fear of harm;

Insulting and affects a student or group; or

Creating a hostile learning environment that affects a student.

In addition, the 2022 Amendments to the ABR set additional strict requirements regarding how education agencies address HIB incidents. No student should have to go through bullying and harassment alone. Seeking help and speaking with an attorney about your child’s rights and safety is the next best thing a parent can do.

Examples of Bullying in New Jersey Schools

Bullying can occur in a myriad of ways. Generally, bullying falls under the following categories:

Verbal, including teasing, taunting, and name-calling.

Physical, such as shoving, hitting, punching, stealing, and spitting.

Psychological, including spreading rumors, intentional exclusions, and breaking up relationships.

Electronically, such as intentionally using social media, texting, email, and other phone applications to harm others.

These incidents frequently occur in school hallways, playgrounds, lunch rooms, locker rooms, and buses.

Rate of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Investigations in North Jersey

The New Jersey Department of Education tracks HIB investigations through its N.J. School Performance report. The data includes the nature of the incident and the number of alleged and confirmed HIB investigations. Data from 2020-2021 shows that there was a total of:

560 HIB investigations and 366 confirmed accounts involving race;

70 HIB investigations and 39 confirmed accounts involving religion;

90 HIB investigations and 70 confirmed accounts involving ancestry;

370 HIB investigations and 241 confirmed accounts involving gender;

384 HIB investigations and 254 confirmed accounts involving sexual orientation;

229 HIB investigations and 155 confirmed accounts involving disability;

1040 HIB investigations and 704 confirmed accounts involving other reasons; and

1371 HIB investigations without an identified nature.

In prior years, the Morris Plains School District has been one of the top ten New Jersey schools with the most bullying incidents.

Legal Claims and Damages for Bullying and Harassment in New Jersey

When evaluating a potential HIB case, an attorney can help families consider tort and civil rights claims.

Federal Civil Rights Claims Involving Bullying

Those with evidence that the harassment, bullying, or intimidation was based on a protected class should consider asserting a federal anti-discrimination claim. In addition, some situations may trigger responsibilities under the U.S. Constitution. Depending on the case’s unique circumstances, potential damages may include injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and in rare cases, punitive damages.

Tort Claims Involving Bullying

There may be common-law causes of actions that a bullying victim can pursue to hold school districts and officials responsible for failing to respond appropriately to bullying. Damages and remedies in these bullying cases may include compensatory damages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages.

Talk to a School Bullying Lawyer Now. Call (973) 453-0870

"You are the most amazing person, and I am indebted to you forever!"
Top Rated by Our Clients

gmb

5stars 1

award avvo

 

fb logo

5stars 1

Talk to a School Bullying Lawyer Now. Call (973) 453-0870